Tobacco wheel conveyor and stringing rack



Dec. 29, 1959 c. HOPKINS TOBACCO WHEEL CONVEYOR AND STRINGING'RACK 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1956 FIG.3

INVENTOR CECIL HOPKINS 1 MU 1. v

ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1959 c. HOPKINS 2,919,040

TOBACCO WHEEL CONVEYOR AND STRINGING'RACK Filed Aug. 13, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CECIL. HOPKINS ATTORNEY United States PatentTOBACCO. WHEEL CONVEYOR AND STRINGING RACK Cecil Hopkins, Zebulon, N.C.

Application August 13, 1956, Serial No. 603,760 0 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-55)This invention relates to farm equipment designed to assist and improvethe method of handling and stringing tobacco at the tobacco curing barn,to improve and reduce the strenuous labor involved in stringing tobacco,and also to reduce the cost of labor for such operations.

This invention relates to a tobacco conveyor wheel and stringing rack,constructed of a Wood frame and a wood conveyor wheel, with handlesattached, and also a stringing rack with slide for storage of sticks ofstrung tobacco.

An object of this invention is to overcome the handicaps involved in thepresent method of handling and stringing tobacco on sticks at thetobacco curing barn.

The old method requires a lot of strenuous back-breaking labor toeveryone involved, in handling and stringing tobacco leaves on sticks atthe curing barn. The old method of handing and stringing tobacco fromsledges or trucks with the handers handing the bundle of leaves directto the stringer often times in all directions and levels, making it verydiflicult for the stringer to get hold of the tobacco, and when a stickof tobacco is completely strung it is necessary for one of the handersto leave the sledge or truck, take the stick from the stringing rack,and carry it to the storage pile. This operation requiring severalseconds to complete and also at this time the other handers have to geta stick and put on stringing rack, making it necessary for both handersto be idle for this period of time, and if the handers have the bundlesof tobacco leaves ready for the stringer to take, the stringer can causethem to lose considerable time by not taking them, making it necessaryfor them to hold the bundles for several seconds before taking bundles,also the leaves of tobacco being placed in sledge or truck by theprimers or croppers in the field are, most of the time, placed in a verydisorderly manner, making it necessary for the handers to loseconsiderable time in arranging the leaves in a straight order, so thatthe handers can assemble the leaves in bundles to be handed 'to thestringer.

It is also an object of this invention to eliminate the problems asdescribed in the old method, and to provide a tobacco conveyor wheel andstringing rack as shown in the drawings, which will improve tobaccohanding and stringing as follows: The handers being able to sit on seatsand place bundles in clamps in a systematic manner with regularity andat the same level at all times, making it much better, more convenient,and time saving on the banding operation. vAlso the stringer being ableto take bundles of leaves at regular intervals and at the same level atall times, which makes the stringing operation much easier and faster,and also the stringing rack having a trip to be worked by stringersfoot, enabling the stringer to trip the finished stick of tobacco on toa slide ramp adjacent to stringing rack. This ramp being capable ofholding several sticks of tobacco is also a labor saver from the oldmethod.

Four people with the aid of this machine can turn out the work of sixwithout the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of tobacco holding mechanism in accordance withthe present invention;

Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6, a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7, an enlarged fragmentary detail of the tobacco holding clip;

Fig. 8, a side elevation of a tobacco stringing rack in accordance withthe present invention;

Fig. 9, an end elevation of the rack of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10, a section on the line 1010 of Fig. 8.

Briefly stated the invention comprises a vehicle having a rotatableturntable with clips along its rim, an adjacent table on which tobaccois adapted to be placed and from which tobacco is taken and placed inthe clips on the turntable for removal at a remote position or on theopposite side thereof. At the point of removal a tobacco stringing rackis located having a pair of spaced upright posts across the upper endsof which tobacco sticks are adapted to be supported one at a time and onwhich tobacco taken from the turntable is strung. A foot lever isprovided for causing the upper ends of such posts to be swung with thetobacco stick onto a pair of inclined spaced rails or supports fromwhich the sticks may be removed after they have accumulated.

With continued reference to the drawings the device of the presentinvention comprises a framework composed of two pairs of uprights 10 onepair being supported by an axle 11 and wheels 12. The uprights or posts10 are secured in fixed relation by means of end and side members 13 and14, a lower cross-brace 15, and a diagonal brace 16.

A pair of parallel upper side members 17 are attached to the uprights 10and extended horizontally and provide handles by which the vehicle maybe moved as well as supports for cross-boards 18 which form a table forthe reception of the harvested tobacco. The outer ends of the members 17are provided with legs 19 connected thereto by means of pivots 20.

Above the transverse brace 15 is mounted a similar brace 21 on the sidebar 17, cross-braces 15 and 21 being fixed to the side members 14 and17. The said cross-- members 15 and 21 are provided respectively withopenlugs 22 and 23 in which is located a vertically adjustable post 24,such post having a series of horizontal or transverse openings 25' forthe reception of a pin 26, such adjustment being provided in order thatthe turntable 27 supported on the end of the posts may be verticallyadjusted to suit the height of workmen. The table 27 is provided with adepending sleeve 28 in which the upper end of the shaft 24 is receivedin suitable thrust and side bearings 29 and 30 for reducing friction inorder to permit the turntable 27 to be easily rotated.

Around the margin of the turntable are mounted tobacco leaf holdingclips of opposed jaw forming side members 31 attached by mounting screwsor other fasteners 32 to the turntable 2.7. The jaws of each pair ofside members 31 are urged towards each other by means of a tensionspring 33. The leaf gripping members 31 are spaced around the peripheryof the turntable except for a small segment 34 to allow a time lapse. Inthis area 34 a clip 35 is mounted, such clip being adapted to hold atobacco stick 36 to be carried to the opposite side of the turntablefrom the handles 17 where it is placed. in contact with an inclined stopmember 37 mounted by means of a pair of hinged members 38 and aremovable:

pin or pivot upon an upright post '40 and being held in an angularposition by. means of a hook 41 engaging an eye 42. A pair of posts 49are provided in spaced relation for supporting the tobacco stick 36across the upper ends, such ends being provided with, notches 43, sothata tobacco stick may rest thereon.

The: posts 40 are mounted on a shaft 44 carried in the lower ends ofspaced upright posts 45 andthe lower ends of which are fixed to spacedframe side bars46 to which uprights 47 and 48 are attached at each sideand support inclined upper rails or bars 49 so that the tobacco sticks36 after they are filled maybe discharged thereon. -In order to increasethe rigidity of the structure the bars 47 are connected by cross-members50 and 51. ,The. posts 40 across the upper ends of which a tobacco stickis adapted to be supported may oscillate on the shaft 4-4 to cause thetobacco stick to be discharged from the upper ends of such posts ontothe spaced side bars 49. In order to cause this operation a foot pedalin the form, of a crank 52 is detachably connected to the end of theshaft 44 inany desired manner as, for example, by a set screw 53. Thusthe oscillation of'the'posts 48 may be from either side of the machine.In order tomaintain the posts 40 normally in an upright position a pairof tension springs 54 are attached by eye bolts 55 to the braces 47 andthe opposite ends of the springs and connected by eyebolts 56 to theposts 40. A pair of brackets 57 attached to the fixed posts 45 limitsthe return swinging of the posts 40 beyondupright position.

With the structure thus provided the stringing rack for holding atobacco stick during and after it is being loaded canbe placed on theplatform of boards 18 and the device Wheeled or otherwise transported toany desired location, for example, to a barn where tobacco is to becured. The stringing rack' may then be placed in a; position on theopposite side of the turntable from the table on which the tobacco ispiled and the tobacco maybe picked up by workmen and-inserted in theclips of the turntable.

A turntable 27 may be rotated in any desired manner and for such purposean endless band or cylinder 58 is attached to the underside of the table27 and is adapted to'be engaged and driven by an elastic drum or rollerfixed on a shaft 6i}. This shaft extends through a plate 61 and itslower end rests in a thrust bearing 62 carried by a plate 63 formingpart of a casing for the driving mechanism. The shaft 60 also is carriedby an adjustable bracket in the form of a plate 64 mounted betweenopposed plates 65 and adapted to be secured in fixed position by meansof a fastener 66. The shaft 60 is driven by a motor 67'having amotorshaft 68 with its lower end inv athrust bearing 69, such shaftbeing provided with a V-belt pulley 70 which drives a V-belt 71 andinturn drives a pulley 72 attached to the shaft 60. The plate 63 forms apart of a housing, the upright wall 73 of which is attached to themotor67 which in turn is fastened to the plate 61 and thehousing is alsoattached to a fixed support 74. A pair of spaced bars '75 are secured bypivots 76 to the bar 74 in the housing 73, the member 74 being providedwith a slot 77in which the shaft 6% and motor 67 are allowed to slide.

In order to maintain the elastic roller 59 in contact with the band 58which rotates the turntable, a tension spring 80 is employed having oneend connected to a pin '78 on one end of a rectangular member 79attached to the fixed bar 74, the rectangular member having a pin 78 oneach end and the spring' having its opposite end connected to the pin 31on the plate 61 which forms a part of the assembly with which the band58 and roller 59 are associated. The plate 61 overlies the slot 77. Theturntable may be driven clockwise or reversely, depending upon Whetherthe resilient driving drum 59-is on the interior or exterior of the band58, by reversing thed riving mechanism and the tension spring 80.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a system for handling picked tobacco comprising avehicular frame, a horizontally disposed turntable journalled on saidframe and including a pe-' ripheral edge portion extending forwardlybeyond one end of said frame, a table on said frame opposite saidperipheral edge portion for supporting harvested tobacco leavesthereommeans for rotating said turntable, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced resilient clips on said turntable for receivingstems of depending tobacco leaves therein andat least one tobaccostick;. a stringing rack comprising a frame including spaced verticalposts disposed transversely of and spaced from the peripheral edge ofsaid turntable including means for supporting a tobacco stick on theupper ends thereof, a pair ofdowna wardly inclined rails in substantialalignment with and spaced from said vertical posts for conveying aloaded:

tobacco stick away from said posts, andmeans displaceably supportingsaid posts in avertical positionand for pivotal movement toward saidrails whereby thearcuate path of the upper ends of said posts with aloaded tobacco stick thereon will intersect the general plane of saidrails and the stick will be deposited on the rails.

2. For use in-a tobacco handling system, a tobacco stringing rackcomprising a frame including vertical supports at one end, a pair ofposts pivotally'mounted' on said supports on a horizontal axis ofrotation, means on the upper ends of said posts for supporting a tobaccostick transversely thereof, apair of horizontally disposed rails spacedfrom and in substantial alignment with said posts, said rail beinginclined away from said posts for conveying by gravity a tobacco stickreceived from said posts, and means mounting said posts in asubstantially vertical position and permitting pivotal movement thereoftoward said rails whereby the arcuate path of movement of the upper endsof said'posts will intersect the plane of said rails.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said last mentioned means comprisesspring-means engaged between at least one post and said frame, and amanually actuated force transmitting element operatively connected tosaid posts for simultaneously moving the same toward said rails inopposition to said spring means.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 925,585Lewis June 22, 1909 1,208,383 Salzer Dec. 12, 1916 2,254,844 GuedonSept. 2, 1941 2,554,635 Petrone May 29, 1951 2,704,158 Long Mar. 15,1955

